Elphinstone Bridge likely to be closed from September 10

HT first reported on January 31 that the British-era Elphinstone road over bridge (ROB), a crucial east-west connector in central Mumbai, was expected to be demolished by the end of February 2025. The bridge is to be replaced by a double decker bridge which will be able to accommodate more commuters

MUMBAI: The Mumbai traffic police have decided to close down the Elphinstone bridge after the Ganapati festival is complete. The date of the closure is tentatively September 10 according to Anil Kumbhare, joint commissioner of police traffic, but the traffic police are waiting for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority’s (MMRDA) nod.

Mumbai, India - March 22, 2020: Deserted view of Elphinstone bridge during Janata Curfew in Mumbai, India, on Sunday, March 22, 2020. (Photo by Pratik Chorge/Hindustan Times) (Pratik Chorge/HT Photo)

HT first reported on January 31 that the British-era Elphinstone road over bridge (ROB), a crucial east-west connector in central Mumbai, was expected to be demolished by the end of February 2025. The decision was postponed due to objections by residents of Parel and then later again because of the Secondary and Higher Secondary school exams.

The bridge is to be replaced by a double decker bridge which will be able to accommodate more commuters. Once the MMRDA gives the green signal, the traffic police will close the bridge and activate alternate routes for commuters.

The Elphinstone bridge connects the bustling central Mumbai areas of Prabhadevi and Parel. It passes over two railway stations, Prabhadevi and Parel, on two different railway lines, used by 500,000-700,000 commuters daily, as per RTO.

The bridge is surrounded by several buildings, some decades old and others housing some of Mumbai’s swankiest offices. Not far from the bridge are residential areas and schools, as well as prominent hospitals like the Tata Memorial Hospital and KEM Hospital, which are frequented by tens of thousands of people daily.

In the first week of February, there was a meeting between multiple government agencies, such as the MMRDA, the traffic police, and the Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation working on the elevated Sewri-Worli connector, for which the Elphinstone bridge is a vital component. While the demolition of the 125-year-old stone bridge received an in-principle nod, MMRDA officials said that several aspects are yet to be ironed out.